


They set us up

by Featherly



Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Bane - freeform, Batman - Freeform, Clayface - Freeform, Deadshot - Freeform, Deathstroke - Freeform, Harley Quinn - Freeform, Joker - Freeform, Killer Croc - Freeform, Mr Freeze - Freeform, Poison Ivy - Freeform, Riddler - Freeform, Scarecrow - Freeform, Two Face - Freeform, a few main characters die, black mask - Freeform, firefly - Freeform, penguin - Freeform, pyg - Freeform, zsasz
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-25
Updated: 2019-10-25
Packaged: 2021-01-03 07:50:39
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,295
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21175952
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Featherly/pseuds/Featherly
Summary: There were only supposed to be two enemies. They didn’t prepare for more, oh god they didn’t prepare for more.Where the hell is Batman?





	They set us up

‘Just follow my lead, okay? I’m going down now so wait for my signal.’   
Nightwing listened to the three affirming yeses in his ear piece before turning it off.

He fell from the shadowy section of the roof onto a beam parallel to the warehouse’s seventh level where none of his enemies could see him lurking. 

He searched the room, making eye contact with each of his partners in turn;   
Robin was in an air vent on the wall, Red Robin was underneath the stairs across the room, and Red Hood was hanging from a corner of the roof close to where Nightwing had been hiding.

Below them, Penguin and Bane stood hunched over a desk talking between themselves loudly and quickly. 

Nightwing raised his pinky finger, pointing it at Red Hood and dropped it down to signal the first part of the plan. Red Hood nodded and reached into his front pocket. He threw a small listening device that dropped silently behind the villainous pair and signalled to both Robins to change their ear pieces frequency. 

Nightwing did the same and listened to the pair talking, the listening device picking up everything in clear stereo. 

“—and when we have the children they go to the hatter. He’s got his own part of the plan that comes next” explained penguin. 

“And what if the bat finds out before we can do this?”   
Bane sounded scared. Nightwing found this unusual, and disturbing. He was only scared when someone more dangerous than he was threatened him.

Penguin shrugged his fat shoulders. “We know nothin’.” 

Nightwing groaned. Their plan was close to execution, just a little bit longer...

“When are the others getting here?” Asked Bane. 

“How should I know?” Replied penguin impatiently. 

Nightwing Started, switching his ear piece back on.

“Others?” Whispered Red Robin into his own earpiece, What does he mean others?”

“No idea Red Robin” Nightwing replied, “uh, Red Hood, Robin, you two need to go. I can’t coordinate all of you if there are others coming. You two can watch from the outside and inform us when-”  
Whatever Nightwing was going to say next was drowned out by a deafening roar.

They stared at the opening door and were as surprised as Bane and Penguin to see the entrance of Killer Croc, Riddler, and Scarecrow. 

“What the bleeding hell are-” 

“Take this” said Scarecrow, handing Penguin a slip of paper from between his middle and pointer finger.

Penguin read it silently, passed it to Bane, and walked towards the door the three other villains had walked through without a word, as it he were possessed by what he had read. Bane’s eyes scanned the tiny slip of paper, and when he finished reading it he removed a lighter from his pocket, burned the slip, and left in the same manner as Penguin. 

Riddler, scarecrow and Croc read the notes on the table once and burned them immediately. When all the papers were gone, scarecrow looked between the others, and said “so, we begin with the vents?” 

Nightwing’s heart was beating out of his chest. Batman told them it would only be bane, penguin, and a select few goons. They didn’t know they would switch out with croc, riddler, and scarecrow!

“I smell them... two are high up and two are nearby.” 

Riddler immediately looked into the corner where Red Hood was hidden. Nightwing was close to jumping down first to defend his brother. “Stay put Hood” he whispered into the ear piece. 

Riddler’s eyes scanned the room and Nightwing let go of a breath he wasn’t even holding. The corner of his mouth twitched into a half smile and answered Scarecrow’s question: “no need to check the vents. The other end of them has been blocked and is being guarded.” 

“Guarded by who?” Enquired Croc. 

“Not a bunch of incompetent goons, I can tell you that much” replied Riddler, “I saw only one of them on the way in and of course I wasn’t told who will be joining in this little endeavour, but I can assure you that they are quite capable.” 

Riddler’s eyes continued to scan the ceiling, pausing on every dark corner. “Ah, to hell with it” he said. A gun appeared in his hand with lightening speed, and he had already pulled the trigger into a corner of the roof before anyone could ask what he had deemed to hell.

Nightwing dropped to the ground before Riddler could shoot into Red Hood’s corner, his heart racing. Was this their plan?

“And here’s the first of four. Riddle me this Nightwing: How many birds does it take to kill a bat?” 

Nightwing looked at Riddler with loathing, his lip quirked in a deranged manner. “Why did you come here tonight?” He demanded of them. He watched them all in turn, keeping his eye on Croc in particular as he seemed to vibrate with anticipation. 

Scarecrow spoke first, “We were made a proposal, promised that we could kill off all of Batman’s partners and leave the big man a mess. The girl is missing, but that hardly matters right now. We have all of you boys, and I can’t wait to get started.” 

Nightwing barely listened. He was too busy listening to his three brothers whispering quickly into his ear.   
“We have to find a way out of here... I could cut through the side of my vent, but Dami—Robin’s, I mean, doesn’t have enough space to do that” chattered Red Robin.  
“We have to stun them and get the hell out of here” said Robin quickly, his tone unchanging and somewhat nervous.   
“It’s not enough. We have to kill them” Decided Jason.

“What do you mean you can’t ‘wait’ to get started?” Nightwing asked Scarecrow.

“We kill you only in defence or if you try to leave now, but the real fun begins soon enough.” 

Riddler glanced at his watch. “Very soon actually” he chimed in. 

A drilling sound broke through the room, the disgusting grind of metal tearing metal whirred in Red Hood’s corner. He jumped down himself, landing carefully on the ground. Revealed, he cautiously stared between the three villains and the whirring from where he had been. A hole formed in the corner of the ceiling, and a long metal something poked through it. 

The door opened and in walked Zsasz, Two face, Mr Freeze, Clayface, Deadshot, Black mask, Professor pyg, and lastly, to their horror, Deathstroke. 

“Boys, to me!” Called Nightwing as loud as he could, fiddling in his ear with the piece’s frequency. 

Red Robin and Robin appeared and went to Nightwing with Jason in tow, forming a tiny circle with Nightwing. 

Nightwing was glancing around, sure they could somehow escape through the roof. If they tricked someone into shooting through it, they could get escape. 

“Eleven against four. That’s cowardly of you all.” 

“We don’t care about cowardice now” said Two face, flipping his coin again and again, “we just want you gone.” 

Nightwing was whispering into his earpiece as two face spoke. “Batman, we have been compromised. They knew we were here. They had a-”

A deafening roar cut Nightwing’s words short. Croc was charging them down, his terrifying pointed teeth bared. The four jumped out of the way, and suddenly they were in combat.

Robin was fighting off Zsasz’s knife and avoiding clayface who seemed to be trying to attack everyone at once. 

Jason had Croc, who apparently wanted to start with the biggest meal first, and Freeze, who was irritated by Clayface’s tendency to get in the way. 

Red Robin was ducking away from Pyg, who was trying to carefully remove the boy’s skin with a chainsaw well enough to preserve it, a feat that would have been impossible for anyone else. 

Nightwing was under threat by Scarecrow, who had missed Nightwing by mere inches with his dangerous, poisoned talons. He was sidetracked, trying to learn everyone’s positions and thinking of their plan to escape. 

Riddler had joined two face and black mask next to the entrance, a phone in his hand filming their fight. The other two stood waiting, for what, Dick could only guess. 

Deathstroke and Deadshot were positioned around the room, Deadshot polishing his gun and Deathstroke was watching them, waiting for something.

The fight turned bloody with Red Hood’s impatience, his hand firmly around a Batarang that Batman most likely didn’t know was missing, and three of croc’s teeth lying on the ground next to him. Croc roared with fury.  
“Get out of here or we will kill you all” yelled Jason with unshaking authority. 

Deadshot laughed and began loading his gun. Jason, momentarily distracted, felt a piece of his arm get ripped off his body just below the shoulder. He leapt backwards and used his grapple to pull himself to the floor three levels up where he started bandaging himself immediately. 

Zsasz took to the stairs and croc took over for him, bearing down on Robin dangerously. 

Robin fought strongly, his sword skills mastered and his reflexes better than Croc would ever be capable of. 

Freeze pointed his ray at Red Hood, who couldn’t hide in his condition, and pulled the trigger which launched a beam of ice which hit the side of his thigh. Red Hood yelped in surprise and tried his best to make himself small while he patched himself up. 

Red Robin struck with his staff again and again, trying his best to hit as many nerves as he could. Pyg cut through it easily with his chainsaw and Red Robin, worried for his safety, ran to a spot underneath the stairs where he had spotted a large shard of metal debris earlier. 

He stabbed it at Pyg, aiming for his organs and ready to kill. He was very aware of his surroundings, and close to a freak out by the sheer number of people trying to kill him and the others. Where the heck was Batman? 

Robin’s sword was ultimately useless against Croc, and clayface was simply irritating everyone good and bad, so Robin circled his way through the fight towards Red Robin to swap fights.

Back to back he said “Can we switch Red Robin? My tools would have been effective against penguin and Bane, but I didn’t come equipped for croc.” 

Red Robin flipped towards Croc, cutting Pyg off and distracting him effectively so that Robin could continue his fight with the new enemy.

Robin aimed at pyg’s ankles, his eyes darting towards Deadshot every few moments. Deadshot was watching them, his eyes skirting each of the boys in turn. 

Nightwing was planning, trying desperately to concoct a idea to get him and his boys out, but every time something came up short. The vents would only work for one person because their enemies wouldn’t let everyone escape, the door was guarded, and the roof was being watched...   
Watched. 

Nightwing’s eyes turned to the corner of the ceiling where the shiny something had been forced through, and sure enough the flickering green light told him what he had already known. They were filming them, broadcasting their actions to the man behind the scheme, probably Batman, and who knew who else.

Nightwing fought off Scarecrow easily, trusting his brothers to keep the others away from him. He thought of Red Hood, injured but still grunting with his efforts to fight. He thought of Red Robin, surprisingly and shockingly the closest to any of them to killing their enemy. He thought of Robin, young but experienced and against someone ten times his size. 

Nightwing’s fight became more dangerous and brutal in favour of Scarecrow, who was close to piercing Nightwing’s skin. The fight began to move throughout the room, Nightwing forced to move backwards to keep up with him. He attempted to overpower Scarecrow and gain back the fight, but Scarecorw’s superior height was enough to make him lose. 

Nightwing put all of his strength forward, still moving throughout the room, being guided like a horse. His eyes were planted on scarecrow, who was beginning to slow down his fight and his movements. If Deadshot chose that moment to shoot, he would have gotten Nightwing.   
‘So why doesn’t he’ thought Nightwing briefly. 

From the corner of his eye he saw Tim, still beating at croc with his staff which was snapped in two. He swiped every now and then with the debris he had found earlier. 

Nightwing didn’t think, and Red Robin didn’t notice until it was too late. 

Scarecrow thrust his hand to his left, eyes still on Nightwing. He injected the unsuspecting Red Robin in his exposed neck, a look of shock stuck on the younger’s face. 

Nightwing prepared himself to beat Scarecrow as hard as he could, even if it killed him, as fast as he could to defend the now vulnerable Red Robin from croc— but before he could start Scarecrow had turned away and was walking calmly towards the entrance to the warehouse, which he floated through. 

Nightwing mentally noted Black mask speaking into the intercom on his chest and decided that he would be next. 

His attention was brought back to croc, who was already towering over Red Robin and prepared to strike. 

“NO!” Yelled Nightwing, using an escrima to block the clenching jaw which was too close to removing Red Robin’s shoulder. 

Nightwing hit croc again and again with his remaining escrima, refusing to move away from Red Robin who was lying in a foetal position and crying. 

Suddenly, a heavy something fell onto croc’s head and bounced off. Croc fell to the side and Nightwing looked to the ceiling, spotting Jason who had his thumb up.

He waved to Red Hood, who waved back and pointed to his side where Zsasz’s legs were visible. Red Hood had either knocked him out or killed him. 

Red Hood’s face fell and concern swept over it. He pointed behind Nightwing, who looked in the indicated direction immediately. 

Behind him was Robin, ducking under ice beams and avoiding pyg’s chainsaw, pulling himself out of clayface’s muck with every step as the morpher encaptured his ankles again and again. 

“I’ll be back Red” he told the boy on the ground, who was calling out for his Dad and apologising to his mother. 

Nightwing eyed Deadshot as he walked, untrusting that he wouldn’t just shoot Red Robin, but not entirely sure why.

He jumped into action, jumping hard at Freeze’s head and beating at it in an attempt to break the glass surrounding it. 

Freeze let his ray go off at random, and just as Nightwing had planned, the ray hit clayface who’s entire anatomy froze up immediately. Left with only Pyg, Robin and Nightwing took him out easily with a few manoeuvres. 

The combat had died, and the three guarding the door spoke quickly into walkie talkies. Robin charged at Black mask with his sword above his head and brought it down hard; only to have Deathstroke intercept his attempt. 

“Not yet” said the mercenary, who pushed Robin away as if he were a disobedient child. 

Red Hood dropped down to Nightwing, who was tending to Red Robin. “Calm down Red. You’ll be okay, you’ll be fine!” 

Nightwing was holding Red Robin’s head and glaring into his eyes, trying desperately to look past them and get into his younger brother’s head. 

“Can’t breath” said Red Robin, his breathing constiricting itself. “CAN’T BREATH!”   
He swiped at his face, pushing Nightwing’s hands away, collapsing back into the foetal position. He swiped at his face until the mask became loose and dropped away. His hair fell into his face and he cried, every intake of breath raspy and difficult. 

Robin took a small needle from his utility belt and passed it to Nightwing, who injected it into Red Robin’s arm and held him until his breathing became even.

Red Hood reached for the front of Red Robin’s uniform and loosened it slightly. “We have to get him out of here!” Demanded Red Hood. 

Nightwing enclosed Red Robin in his arms and rocked backwards and forwards with him, frustrated tears burning the corner of his eyes.

“What do we do Nightwing?” Asked Robin. 

Nightwing didn’t answer. There had to be a way out. There HAD to be.   
“What were Black mask, Riddler and two face saying into their walkies?” He asked Robin. 

“He was... he was calling in more people.” 

As if Robin’s words were the signal, the door opened again to allow entry to Bane, Joker, Harley Quinn, poison Ivy, and Firefly. 

Robin, Nightwing, and Red Hood stood to attention, Red Robin held firmly to Red Hood’s back.

“Go up” whispered Nightwing so only his partners could hear, “Go up until someone puts a hole in the goddamn roof.” 

The enemies surrounded them, Deathstroke and Deadshot joining in this time. 

“We’re gonna wi-in” jeered Harley Quinn. 

“Don’t count on it” replied Deadshot, his gun barrel pointed at Red Hood. 

“Aaaand-” began Riddler, who was looking at his watch. He waited a few more moments, Red Hood already running down Deadshot in a serpentine. “GO!” finished Riddler.   
All at once they charged, Red Hood kicking Deadshot in the hand to force the gun back into his eye and chest.   
He was knocked out easily, but Red Hood didn’t know for how long. 

Joker brought an elbow down on Red Hood’s head, and while it hurt, it didn’t do any real damage. 

Red Hood ran, despeate now to keep Red Robin safe from the more dangerous criminals.   
He thought of the dosage Robin had kept in his belt, knowing damn well that it would only keep him knocked out for half an hour at the most; more than enough time to get him back to the bat cave under any other circumstance. 

Robin and Nightwing fought Deathstroke, avoiding Ivy’s vines and Firefly’s fire. 

No matter how much Robin cut the vines, they kept growing back in seconds. 

“Just get up!” Yelled Nightwing, so Robin did as he was told. He grappled up towards the ceiling, dangling from it dangerously. 

“You forget that I can fly!” Called firefly. 

“STOP YOU STUPID BUG” yelled Ivy after him, but it was too late. Firefly missed Robin entirely and burned a hole straight through the metal. 

“YES!” Yelled Nightwing and Red Hood together. Their exit was clear. 

Robin began to swing through it, but a sound like a cough echoed through the warehouse, and instead of flying through to victory, Robin fell to the ground with a hole in his head. 

Red Hood watched this happen and lost the ability to breath. He saw Damien drop, bounce off the railing underneath him, and flop to the floor like a rag doll. 

His eyes darted to Deadshot who was now sitting up, fine as ever. He saw the killer aim again, not at him or Nightwing, but at the bug man swirling around the roof, crying “He was mine!” Another sound like a cough, and Firefly dropped to the high level of the warehouse, dead. 

Red a Hood took the debris Red Robin had been using as a weapon which was safely stored in his breast pocket, and aimed it at Deadshot who was now walking towards the exit. It bounced off the helmet and landed behind him, not even remotely impeding his movements.

Red Hood left Red Robin hidden between two small shipping containers and dropped down next to Damien, who was spouting blood and dead. 

His breath hitched in his throat and he picked up the limp form. “Damien?” 

Nightwing turned towards them mid fight. “Red Hood, Robin, are you two still in this fight?” He called, irritated. 

Red Hood recoiled. Nightwing didn’t yet realise that Damien was dead.   
Tears welled up in his eyes and dropped down his face to the younger dead boy’s chest. He put both hands over Damien’s head, as if his inability to see it would change the fact.

He looked up periodically, ensuring that the fight didn’t go back to him.   
He prepared his grapple to shoot once he had Damien in a good position, fumbling with the tiny body as he hitched him safely with a rope connecting their belts.

He aimed his grapple with his left hand, and didn’t see the giant appear silently to rip it off. 

Crocs recovery had seemed unlikely so soon, but Jason had been wrong. His grapple gun was gone, along with his arm from half way between his shoulder and elbow joint.  
He let out an ear piercing scream, and dropped to his knees, exhaustion immediate.   
“fu-UCK” he cried, grabbing what remained of his shoulder and applying as much pressure as he could. He heard Nightwing say something, saw croc lurch at him again, and then he was dead too. 

Nightwing fought hard and violently, deliberately holding back his full strength to give himself the upper hand when he needed it.   
He listened for a sound that meant help because Batman had to be close, but instead he heard a sound like like a snapped tree branch, a scream, and Jason swearing. 

Nightwing divided his attention and watched his brother helplessly. His eyes darted between Jason and killer croc. Croc was munching down on the raw meat that had been Jason’s arm as if it were his final meal. He watched the giant across the room lurch forward again and screamed “JASON! NO!” just as croc ripped into the other’s throat, spraying blood and tiny strings across the warehouse floor. 

Nightwing froze and stared, his mouth open. He saw killer croc wipe his mouth with the back of his hand before calmly walking out the door. 

His eyes went between Jason and Damien, both lying on the floor, both clearly dead. How had he not realised before, when only Damien was dead. How did he not notice that the room was down in number with the leave of Deadshot?

Nightwing went suddenly cold all over. Deathstroke, poison ivy, Harley, and joker were outraged. They stormed towards the door, beckoning Croc back. 

“He can’t do that!” Said Ivy indignantly. 

They crowded around the stopped Croc who tried to shrug them off. 

“I’m well within my rights to keep going. Didn’t check to see if I was knocked out entirely, or if I was still conscious. That isn’t MY fault!” 

Nightwing dropped to his knees, tired. He stared at his unmoving brothers; one with a clear hole in his head, oozing blood, and one with his throat brutally torn out. His breathing stopped. “D-Damien. Jay... Jason... D-” 

His mouth stayed open, stuck. His mind raced. Where was Tim?

He stood up slowly, one leg at a time. Where the fuck was Tim?

He stepped forward tentatively. One step, two steps, three...

“Where are you going Nightwing?” Asked Deathstroke menacingly. 

Nightwing’s shoulders slumped, then heaved. His teeth bared and his chest pumped in and out. He grunted, glanced at his dead partners, and charged at Deathstroke. 

Nightwing kicked and flipped, avoiding the blade and returning blows expertly. Deathstroke fought back with an equal malice, fighting to keep up with Nightwing and only gaining even ground.

Nightwing pulled out the shard that Jason had thrown at Deadshot with lightening speed, and aimed for the gap between Deathstroke’s mask and armour, thrusting it as hard as he possibly could.

Nightwing was fighting dirty. He was fighting to kill. 

The shard entered it smoothly, right at the front of his throat. He pulled the shard out and waited. He heard a harsh intake of breath and watched Deathstroke step backwards, clasping at the site where blood was already gushing like a river. It was a perfect shot. 

Deathstroke fell to his knees, his jugular irreversibly destroyed. He fell into his face a second later, dead. 

Riddler, Black mask, and Two face had watched this from the side and slipped out the door, shocked expressions plastered on their faces.

Nightwing towered over the body, the grimace still on his face. He kicked the body, stole the sword, and turned to his other enemies. 

Joker laughed his piercing laugh. “Ah Nightwing, always good for a laugh.” He wiped away a fake year with his index finger and stood to attention. “Was that your FIRST kill? Your poor virginity, I knew it would happen though. EVERYONE knew it would happen.” 

You’re next, decided Nightwing. 

Ivy watched, glassy eyed. Nightwing, a killer? She had never thought him capable... But since he was it would be easier to kill HIM.

Nightwing charged at Joker, sword raised. Joker recoiled, genuinely surprised at the deadly gleam emitted by Nightwing. 

“NO” said Ivy, one of her vines encircling the sword and Nightwing’s hands. More vines circled up his legs and around his muscles, compressing every curve his body. 

She constricted the vines, cutting off his air supply. Nightwing choked and groaned, spasming against them weakly. His face turned red and the deadly gleam in his eyes was dying. 

He thought he was about to die, and that was okay. Jason and Damien were dead. He could go with them... 

A blade cut easily through the vines, shredding them as they screamed. Ivy screamed herself, ear piercing and painful. 

Nightwing dropped to the ground and was helped to his feet by Red Robin, who had been given enough time to recover. “We have to go” he insisted to Nightwing. 

“What about Jason and Damien?” He asked lamely. 

“We have to go” repeated Red Robin, staring into Nightwing’s eyes. Nightwing realised that Red Robin’s were wet, and there were tear trails already drying on his face. 

“No.” He decided quickly. 

He raised his sword again and rushed forward, first at Ivy who was the most dangerous. She didn’t see Nightwing as she mourned the death of her plants, so she was dead herself quickly. 

“NIGHTWING” screamed Red Robin in horror. He raised the sword he had taken from Damien’s body and dashed forward. He blocked the blow Nightwing was about to put on his next victim, Harley Quinn, and didn’t know how to react when he was pushed to the side by Nightwing as if he were a rag doll. 

Joker took the chance to grasp Red Robin around the neck, and Red Robin missed the opportunity to raise his sword above his chest before the deadly voice whispered “drop it.”   
He did as he was asked. 

Nightwing had killed three people: Deathstroke, Poison Ivy, and Harley Quinn, the most recent of which was lying on the ground with the sword stuck between her ribs. 

Nightwing tugged, but the sword was stuck. “Damn it!” He yelled, turning towards Red Robin, only to realise his position. 

Joker’s hand was around Red Robin’s neck, his gun pushed against the boy’s temple. He let out a long, low laugh and pushed it harder against the head. “This one’s mine Nightwing. No one left for you to kill but me, and I intend to stay alive a little longer to enjoy my riches.” 

“Riches? What do you mean riches?” Nightwing asked, his voice low with frustration and strain. 

“The riches I will get for killing a Sidekick. That was the deal, but the conditions said I could only off one. If I kill more than one, I get nothing.” His shoulders slumped as he faked sadness. “But now I’m the only one left, and there are TWO sidekicks left.”

Nightwing’s heart was beating out of his chest. “Don’t kill him, please.” He dropped to his knees and bowed his head. “Kill me instead.” 

Joker laughed again, becoming more hysterical with each HA. “Very noble of you my boy.” He removed the gun from Red Robin’s head and placed it on Nightwing’s bowed one. 

He switched his stance, passing the gun between the boy’s, trying to decide. “Which one should I do?” He asked himself. 

“Run Red” said Nightwing, “please.” He raised his head and caught his brother’s eye. 

Red Robin began crying silent tears again, but did as he was asked. He ran for the stairs, intending to go through the hole in the ceiling. 

Nightwing looked at the gun and looked at the ground. There was a click of the barrel so close to his head, and a little flag marked BANG emit itself. 

Joker laughed again, and just as Nightwing was about to strike Joker, the real bang went off; and Tim dropped from the same spot Damien had been shot in. His body dropped onto the highest floor, and he wailed in pain. 

Nightwing kicked the joker and punched him again and again. But the wails were too strong. He swore, grappled to Tim and crouched over him, shaking hands hovering over the wound that was too close to his heart. Joker strolled out the door without a care.

“Hur... hurts to-to...” 

Nightwing shooshed Tim and clasped the rod the flag was on. He let go of it immediately when Tim screamed out in pain. 

“Oh god” cried Nightwing. He was so tired, and his eyes were sore from the salty tears that had threatened him since Damien and Jason’s death. “I think it’s in one of your lungs.” 

“Wha- was th-” Tim cried out and convulsed in pain, “Th- that?” 

“For god same Tim, STOP TRYING TO TALK.”

A sound like a gunshot went off, but just like the door opening Tim seemed to be the only one to hear it. 

Nightwing heard the sound of a heavy body landing on the railing behind him and turned, ready to defend himself and Tim. His elbow, ready to slam down into the new imposter’s collarbone was stopped without much progress as Batman grabbed it. 

Nightwing’s eyes went wide and he dropped down to Tim again, and Batman dropped to the boy’s side, his gloves. and helmet removed. Tim was still moaning and crying. “We’re... we’re... we”   
Batman shooshed Tim and prepared an injection that cleanly pressed into Tim’s neck. Tim’s sharp breathing didn’t change, but his head lolled to the side and his eyes closed. 

“Where have you been” asked Nightwing, curled into a ball by Tim’s feet. 

Batman didn’t answer yet, but positioned Tim so his legs were straight and his shoulders down. When he placed Tim’s hands on his chest Nightwing demanded to know what he was doing. 

Then Batman did something that Nightwing would never in his wildest dreams have thought Batman would ever do. 

He sat next to Nightwing, leaning against the railing, and pulled Dick into himself so he could hug him and play his hair. Dick couldn’t remember any affection like this from Bruce, but in that moment it was very welcome. He leaned into Batman and hugged the arm encasing him. 

“We couldn’t save him. The rod punctured both of his lungs. The stuff I gave him... he can die in his sleep.” 

Nightwing let out a breath he didn’t even know he was holding. It was shaky and harsh. 

“They set us up. Penguin, Bane... they distracted you first. Then they swapped with Ivy, Joker, and Harley. Those ones distracted me, switched out with Bane and Penguin. Obviously they came here.   
I don’t know who orchestrated this whole thing,” Batman glanced at the bodies on the lower level. He grimaced at the sight of Damien’s body, his own blood. “I only saw near the end of the livestream. You killed Ivy...” 

Bruce looked up into the corner where the camera continued to blip red. “They’re going to come for me. You are going to go away for a while.” 

Dick didn’t reply to this. He stared at Tim, his last breath taken. The slight tugging of his hair was nice. He could have slept right there and then, and almost did, until Bruce spoke again.

“We were set up” he finished lamely.

**Author's Note:**

> I spelt Damien’s name wrong in this whole story but it’s ok I forgive me.


End file.
